Silvermoon City
The crown jewel of the blood elves is their capital of Silvermoon City (aka Silvermoon), nestled in the Eversong Woods in their ancestral lands of Quel'Thalas. At the northernmost tip of the Eastern Kingdoms the beauty of the spires and thoroughfares of Silvermoon stand in stark contrast to the Dead Scar, the tainted path that Arthas tore through the city in his quest for power. Though nearly destroyed by Arthas' attack on the Sunwell, Silvermoon is once again a thriving city. Most recently, the rebirth of the Sunwell has lifted spirits among the elves, and they have continued to heal Silvermoon's scars in the hopes of returning their beloved capital to its former glory. History The city of Silvermoon was founded by the high elves to be their capital after their arrival in Lordaeron thousands of years ago. The city was constructed out of white stone and living plants in the style of the ancient kaldorei empire and interwoven with the natural topography of the landscape. The city contained the famous Academies of Silvermoon as a center for the learning of Arcane Magic and Sunstrider Spire, a majestic palace home to the Royal family of the high elves. The Convocation of Silvermoon (also known as "The Council of Silvermoon"), the ruling body of the high elves was also based here. Across a stretch of ocean to the north is the island that contains the Sunwell, named the Isle of Quel'Danas. Under the rule of High King Anasterian Sunstrider, Silvermoon City stood strong in the face of several conflicts within Quel'Thalas. The Troll Wars, perpetrated by the vengeful Amani empire (whom the high elves had banished after their exodus to Quel'Thalas), was among the first. Second War Silvermoon City stood for millennia. During the Second War the city itself was left relatively unscathed due to the efforts of elven magi who used the powers of the Sunwell to create a magical barrier over the city making it impervious to the Horde's dragon fire. The country itself was protected by the runestones, which disallowed the invading trolls and orcs to enter most of the kingdom. King Anasterian held court in Sunstrider Spire, the stage where he and the Convocation swore to end the Amani remnants once and for all. Third War The ruins of Silvermoon In the Third War the death knight Arthas led the Scourge into the city, attacking it on his quest to reach the Sunwell. The High Elven King and the Convocation were slain and the majority of the population killed. Scourge forces held the city for a time, but abandoned it after the depletion of its resources. Though the city was attacked by the Scourge, the undead left the buildings mainly intact. For a time the city was a ghost town empty except for dead plants, the occasional body sprawled across the cobblestones and mournful elven spirits. The only visitors to the city were treasure hunters in search of any valuable artifacts that the elves left behind before they deserted the city, but the ghosts of Silvermoon's past inhabitants made stealing difficult. Rise of the Blood Elves Rebuilt by the blood elves Following the decimation of the high elves, the survivors renamed themselves "blood elves" in honor of their fallen people. The elven prince, Kael'thas Sunstrider, took several of his most powerful followers to do battle with the Scourge in Lordaeron, and commanded the great ranger Lor'themar Theron to relieve the elven homeland of the Scourge's taint. The blood elves under Lor'themar made numerous attempts to salvage the ruins of Silvermoon, though the already overstretched Farstriders could make little dent in the face of the Scourge. However, this one-sided struggle was to take an unexpected turn. Reclamation Lor'themar Theron and Halduron Brightwing were approached by a contingent of magisters sent back to Quel'Thalas on the order of Kael'thas. Their leader, a master-magus named Grand Magister Rommath, shared with his people the radical new teachings advocated by Kael'thas (and by extension, Illidan Stormrage), leading to the blood elven people finding a reinvigorated drive to retake their homeland. Under Rommath's command, the magisters quickly went about reclaiming and rebuilding much of Silvermoon City "almost overnight" - their volatile new powers making quick work of the Scourge. The crown jewel of Quel'Thalas Silvermoon City was reconstructed in an elaborate manner. The towering spires of Silvermoon rose skyward once again, and the entire eastern section of Silvermoon has been wholly reclaimed by the sin'dorei. The western portion, however, has been beyond conventional healing--the Dead Scar slicing through it proving an obstacle. A great deal of demonic energy has been used to fully empower the city. Chained crystals, full to the top with harnessed magic, now dot the city and power up all the various magical contrivance, including many floating spires and castles. Since the blood elves are cut off from the rest of civilization by the dangerous Plaguelands, an Orb of Translocation has been made connecting Silvermoon to Undercity. Silvermoon also housed an imprisoned naaru named M'uru for a time, whose powers were drained by the magisters in order to empower the Blood Knight Order under Lady Liadrin's command. Silvermoon is ruled by the Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas, Lor'themar Theron, who holds court with the ranger-general of Silvermoon, Halduron Brightwing and the Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas, Rommath. Silvermoon's will was tested when the city was set upon by none other than Kael'thas himself, fresh from his defeat in Tempest Keep. He stole M'uru and spirited the naaru away to the Sunwell Plateau. Magically-automated guardians constantly remind everyone in the city of the blood elves' leader and savior, Prince Kael'thas, by reciting lines of carefully-worded propaganda. This helps prevent the blood elven denizens of the city from forgetting to whom they owe their absolute loyalty. However when Kael'thas has betrayed his people, the Arcane Guardians have been changed to reflect Kael'thas' betrayal and give propaganda referring to Lor'themar Theron as the savior of the blood elves instead. Additionally, Silvermoon City Guardians critiqued by Champion Vranesh no longer praise Kael'thas as the "Sun King." Category:Places Category:Quel'Thalas Locations Category:Cities